The present invention relates to a unique, easy to use, alphabetical keyboard. It is useful in the miniature, electronic translating device disclosed in the above parent applications, though the invention is not limited thereto. The invention involves a logical arrangement of keys heretofore unavailable in keypunch machines, typewriters, pocket calculators and the like.
There are presently available many hand-held keyboard terminals for instructing computers, such keyboard terminals being connected to the computers through cables adapted to carry signals from the keyboard to the computers. In addition, there are many compact computing devices and calculators that are wholly integrated and portable for carrying about in one's pocket or briefcase. These devices generally can also be held in one hand and operated by pressing appropriate keys of a keyboard of the devices using the fingers of only one hand. However, these devices are limited to making numerical and mathematical calculations only. If it is desired to communicate with words, using mechanical or electronic devices having all twenty-six letters of the alphabet, keypunch machines and typewriters are available that employ well-known key arrangements that are not conveniently usable by a single hand or easily and quickly learned by the non-typist. However, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,925,779 and 3,932,859 respectively to Gerstenhaber and Kyriakides et al, an arrangement of keys is shown for compact electronic devices that appear operable by a single human hand. In the Kyriakides et al patent, the vowel and consonant keys are arranged in the manner of typewriter keys, while in the Gerstenhaber device, letter keys are not used at all; rather the keys are used in "coded" manner in which whole words or phrases can be ordered by the punching of one key.
A keyboard showing the numerical order of telephone push button arrangements is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,037 to Bialek, such arrangements using ten keys for numerals zero to nine.
A typewriter keyboard arrangement for Japanese katakana characters, and use by both hands of a typist, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,687,939 to Jones, the arrangement locating vowel sounds of the syllabic characters in an orderly fashion so that the same vowel in any of the syllabic characters is found in about the same position in a key row.
A keyboard arrangement showing alphabetical order of letter keys (for telegraphic use) is shown in an old U.S. Pat. No. 12,929 to White. However, the five vowel keys are not arranged in an orderly fashion, the o being surrounded by k, n, s and p in an intermediate row of the arrangement. Similarly, u is located between q and y in the upper row of the arrangement. The importance of vowels resides in the fact that they are common to all Western peoples, that they can be recognized by such peoples when communicating with each other in attempts to break through language barriers. Thus, an orderly arrangement of vowels is important in any letter keyboard designed to provide a full range of words for communication purposes.